A video created using AI was posted on the Instagram account of late Hong Kong actor Benz Hui on 28 October. Seated in a director’s chair, he is seen “checking in” with everyone with his trademark humor, even teasing his old friends.
“There’s no rush. I’ll save you a seat first. Take your time — the later, the better,” went his AI image.
Hui died of illness on 28 October 2025. To mark the first anniversary of his death, his daughter Charmaine Hui shared an AI-generated tribute video on his social media accounts. Created by his goddaughter, visual artist Liu Sijia, the short film depicts him recounting his past year on “the other side”.
In the AI-generated video, Hui wears a white shirt and sits in a director’s chair, joking: “The people up here said I should make a video to send back and let everyone know I’m doing well.” He thanks viewers for supporting his acting over the years and says he feels very fortunate. Describing his “extended holiday”, he says with a smile that he can wake up whenever he likes each day and he enjoys a leisurely, carefree life.
AI version of Hui tells old friends: The later you arrive, the better
In the video, he shows care for his friends and family, and to his Singaporean wife Long Yin Er: “Hey, darling, no one bullies me here. I’m still not quite used to it! Don’t get angry so easily either. It’s not worth making yourself ill over it! As I always say, a day passes whether you spend it smiling or angry. That’s life — don’t waste time on things that don’t matter!”
In the video, Hui adds that what he misses most is eating Hainanese chicken with his family, as well as his daughter’s coffee. He assures her: “Don’t overthink things. You’ve already shown me so much love, and I’m very happy! Regret is like leftover rice — don’t keep it, throw it away! Remember, there’s nothing you can’t get through; sometimes it’s your heart that won’t let go.”
At the end of the video, he comforts those who miss him with the words: “Why cry when you can smile?” He says he is doing well on “the other side” and urges everyone to live well too.
Writing in her father’s voice, Charmaine Hui said in the post: “It’s been a long time since we last saw each other. Everyone says they miss me, and I’ve received all your messages! When you watch this video, don’t worry about me. I’m doing very well, and you must take good care of yourselves too!”
The family also wrote that all of Hui’s social media accounts would be retained, with amusing anecdotes about him shared from time to time. “That way, perhaps when we least expect it, we can ‘meet’ Benz again.”
Still tempted to buy clothes for her father
Charmaine also wrote on her own Instagram account about how much she missed her father. She said she had told her mother a few days earlier that she had never gone so long without seeing him since she was born. Her mother replied that she still imagined her husband was away filming. Charmaine then joked: “What film could possibly be so amazing, and pay so well, that it’s worth being away from us for so long?”
A year after her father’s death, the family is still doing its best to carry on; she revealed that while in South Korea for work recently, she saw an item of clothing that would have suited him perfectly and briefly thought of buying it for him. Reality hit her a moment later, prompting her to reflect: “It really has been so long since I last saw you.”
She admitted that she still felt uncertain about the future, but would remember her father’s advice and keep moving forward. She ended with the words, “love you endlessly”.
